


tonight will seem unbelievably beautiful

by hulklinging



Series: Spring Awakening [7]
Category: Avengers Academy (Comics), New X-Men: Academy X, Runaways (Comics), Young Avengers
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Theatre, Elevators, F/F, Gen, Getting Together, Opening Night
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-06-05 18:05:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6715597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hulklinging/pseuds/hulklinging
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'It is ten minutes until the show opens. Everyone prepares in their own way.'</p><p>A series of scenes from the AU that are too short to be their own instalments but fill in the gaps between the songs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Opening Night

**Author's Note:**

> This does not have a song motif because it is not a full installment of the story, just a little thing I wrote to celebrate [this AU turning one year old!](http://hulklinging.tumblr.com/post/143697846878/a-few-days-ago-as-i-was-busy-with-my-show) Thank you to all who continue to read and support this story of mine, and happy opening to anyone out there who also just opened a show, or is opening any show in the near future.
> 
> I've gone and turned this into a series of oneshots for the AU. They'll be posted as they're written, so chronologically it will jump around a bit.

There's a place every actor goes before opening.

Sitting in the dark in those moments before you walk on stage, strange things happen. You'll have moments when your first line escapes you, where you forget your first note. Your mic is on, right? You finished your makeup, but now you forget if you actually blended in your cheeks at all.

You hear people file in, that excitement that runs through the crowd, and a terror sets in.

"Ten minutes," David whispers to them, and then he's gone again.

"Thank you, ten," they chorus back.

Julie's throat is dry.

Loki double checks the prop table, makes sure his gun hasn't moved in the few seconds since he last checked it.

Brandon tries not to think about his own body, laid bare and lit up under these lights for the world to see.

Billy hums his starting note in Touch Me. Again. Again. Again.

Karolina can't remember her dance steps. How has she forgotten her dance steps?

America crumples the letter in her pocket.

Teddy wonders who Bobby Mayler is.

Cassie reties her boot. It looks weird. She reties it.

Xavin checks to make sure her bruise makeup is still there. She presses at the spot, her mind supplying the ache as she sinks into her character.

Noh Varr wonders what colour bra Wanda ended up going with for Frau Graussenbussenhaulter.

Eli wonders if his grandmother likes the seats he picked out for her.

Gert takes her seat next to Chase, and grins. They're sold out. She's done her job. Chase grabs her hand, brings it to his lips like the sap he is.

"Congrats, babe," he mutters as the house goes to half.

A whispered 'places' sends a shiver through the cast.

The lights go down. David gets into place, checks that his com is on, takes a deep breath.

Kate should be watching, but she's in the lobby instead. The time for notes and finishing touches is over. It's her cast's show now, and David's. She couldn't be happier. She just hopes the audience agrees with her.

"Good show, good show," murmurs Julie, making sure to touch each of her cast mates in some way (a pat on the shoulder, a squeeze of the arm) as she goes to wait in the wings.

The band begins to play. The music sinks into Billy's veins. He can't remember a time he's felt more alive.

In the blue light of backstage, anything is possible. It's like a dream, and in this space Teddy is brave enough to reach over and whisper a 'thank you' into Billy's ear. It's barely a whisper at all, and he would doubt that he even made sound except that Billy's ears are going pink.

Karolina and Cassie share a tight hug. When Xavin hesitates, they pull her in as well. America watches them, smiling in spite of herself.

Brendan surprises Loki by giving the smaller boy a one armed embrace as well. He tries to play it off as casual, but Loki can feel the tension in his body.

"Let's kill it," he says.

Loki nods.

Noh Varr and Eli share a somber fist bump.

Julie steps on stage and starts to sing.

David lets himself grin. It's going to be an amazing show.


	2. Extra Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misunderstanding and confessions in an elevator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place close to the end of rehearsals. I think this was for the prompt “That’s not what I meant and you know it!"

Xavin can’t stand in the same room as her, she can’t do it, she’s shaking and she’s supposed to be going over harmonies so she doesn’t wreck this for everyone, so she doesn’t stand out more than she already does, and then this happens and she can’t do it, she’s not that strong.

She storms out and tries to pretend her eyes aren’t stinging with the threat of tears. She needs to pull out her phone and make sure she knows how to get home because she knows this city alright, she’s lived here a few years now, but this isn’t _her city,_ now, this is new American money and perfect girls with perfect voices and perfect bodies and that’s all fine but girls like her aren’t welcome here.

She should have known that the moment she saw where Karolina lived.

“Xavin, wait!”

Oh great, Karolina’s following, and she’s stuck waiting for the elevator. She would have taken the stairs but she doesn’t know where they are, and she doesn’t trust her trembling legs on them right now anyway.

“Don’t,” she forces out, and her voice is low and she hates it, more than she ever has.

“Please, just wait a second.”

Karolina’s standing right beside her, and she can’t disobey that voice. She’s so far gone for this girl, that’s the problem. So she lets her hand fall from the elevator call button, and turns to face Karolina.

They’re almost the same height.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Xavin says, quick enough to cut Karolina off. “I get it. You want… a star. The ‘real deal’, and I’m… not that.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it!“ Karolina throws a hand up in frustration, and Xavin flinches and then hates herself for it. Karolina’s eyes go wide in understanding, and she lowers her hand, takes a step back so that Xavin has more space. “Or maybe you don’t. I’m sorry, that’s not how I meant to put that. You don’t have to, but I’d really like it if you came back inside? I want to explain, and we didn’t even get to practicing…”

“It’s fine, I’ll just ask Jay tomorrow-”

“It’s obviously not fine!”

Xavin’s not sure who is talking about what now, but the elevator doors are opening, and she steps inside before she can change her mind. To her horror, Karolina follows her.

“Look, at least give me until the lobby. If you still want to leave, that’s fine. Just give me ‘til then?”

Xavin doesn’t trust herself to answer, because she knows she’ll gave, she’ll get out right now if Karolina asks again. She doesn’t, but she keeps talking, taking the silence as acceptance.

“I meant you too, when I said that. Ever since rehearsals started, I’ve felt very… out of my weight class? Even Cassie has more experience than me, and she’s, like, twelve.”

She’s not, but they both know that, and they both know that’s not the point.

“And yes, I think Julie’s beautiful. But I think you are, too.”

What?

“I… don’t understand.”

Xavin is fluent in English, hasn’t stumbled like this since she moved to America, over a decade ago now. She feels like the words are rushing out of her mind, leaving her with an echo chamber. _I think you are, too._

“Please,” says Karolina, eyes bright. “Let me show you, then?”

And she kisses Xavin.

It’s not Xavin’s first kiss, but at the same time it is, in all the ways that matter. Xavin’s muscles lock up out of shock, and Karolina pulls away again, an apology already on her lips.

Xavin leans in to catch it before its said.

The elevator dings for the bottom floor, and the old lady who gets on the elevator seems totally unsurprised at the two girls kissing on her elevator.

“Is this for your new show, Karolina?” she asks, all kind curiosity. “I’m really looking forward to this one!”

Karolina blushes, and Xavin wants to chase that blush with her lips, but instead she pulls away, her own cheeks hot. She doesn’t go far, though, because there’s a hand in her own pretending her from doing so. She reaches forward in a moment of daring and presses the button for Karolina’s floor. The hand in her own squeezes tight.

“Yes,” Karolina addresses the old lady. “Its a really special one.”

Xavin beams, and feels something like hope flutter in her chest.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr](http://hulklinging.tumblr.com)!


End file.
